


Up in the Sky

by ambiguously



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: F/M, First Dates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-04
Updated: 2016-05-04
Packaged: 2018-06-05 04:50:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6690319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ambiguously/pseuds/ambiguously
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Han attempts to take Leia out somewhere nice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Up in the Sky

**Author's Note:**

  * For [igrockspock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/igrockspock/gifts).



What with one thing and another – defeating the Empire, kicking the butts of the last of the Imperial holdouts, Leia and Luke finding out about their family connection, and oh yeah, before all that, Han being stuck in carbonite for way too long – Han and Leia had found zero time for normal things in about forever, even when their definition of 'normal' included 'running for their lives,' and 'imprisoned again.'

They'd saved each other a lot. They'd dropped everything to find the other a lot. They'd said the things that needed saying, and they'd done the things that, in Han's mind, were long overdue for doing. Leia's single-minded devotion to her self-appointed tasks extended to everything she decided to do, and Han was appropriately grateful when her intense attention was focused on doing him.

Seriously, this was great.

They'd never gone out together, not the way he thought normal people did: dinner, watch a holo, maybe go for a stroll or, better yet, a nice hop around some romantic moon before making out in the cockpit. Leia might have just discovered she was an accidental Skywalker, but she'd been raised as royalty. At some point, she was going to expect fine dining, dancing, and for Han to be with her in public wearing something better than his usual 'it's probably clean' shirt. If he intended this to last longer than a pleasant post-war fling before she dumped him for a higher class of boyfriend, he was going to have to ask her out on a date. Probably a lot of dates. Good dates.

"I don't know where to take her," he complained to Chewie as they worked on fixing that problem with the _Falcon_ 's aft strut again. "She's used to fancy foods I can't pronounce, and music I can't stand. I can't fake that."

Chewie pointed out Leia had spent most of the last several years living on the same bland Rebellion rations they all did, and when it was her turn to pick the ambient music on the ship, they listened to light, popular songs even Han knew.

"Not my point. That's been good enough for the war. She's a princess. Now that things are winding back down, she's not going to want the bad things she had to put up with when she was fighting the Empire." Like me, he thought to himself.

Chewie grumbled at Han and reminded him that this was why they had the agreement not to share relationship issues with each other, because if Leia was a Wookiee, she'd have already smacked Han on the head and dragged his concussed form back to their treehouse.

Han paused. They really didn't ever talk relationship stuff. "You're into that?" He wasn't about to judge, but it seemed kind of creepy.

Chewie shrugged and tossed him the spanner.

Luke wasn't any more help. "I am not talking about this with you." He was trying to levitate a ball, which wobbled in the air precariously. "You know her as well as I do. Better now," he added as the ball dipped.

"Yeah, but you actually asked her out before. You remember."

The floating ball was not doing well. Weird. The kid usually had better control over his powers. "I remember, Han. I asked her once, and the base was attacked less than a minute later, and we had to evacuate."

That had been intense. The Empire had found them, and they'd barely escaped. The next real base they had after that was Hoth, and everything went to hell there.

"I know. You had to have made some plans, though. Were you going to take a walk through those gardens we saw? The moons there were nice. Romantic."

The ball dropped and bounced. Luke caught it. "Han, I'd like to forget the time I asked my sister out on a date. Please don't make me dredge up what I planned to do if she'd actually said yes." He smiled tightly, and gestured with the practice ball that, as much as he loved Han like a brother, he needed to get lost.

"Right. Forget I asked."

"Gladly."

Han had only one more friend close by he could go to. Lando's sharp look turned kind as he let Han into his office.

"Nice," Han admitted, looking around.

"The new Republic saw I was an administrator on Bespin, and a General in the Rebellion, and they offered me a job."

"You haven't told them both of those were con jobs."

"No, and you are sworn to secrecy." The expression stayed amused, but Han heard both the underlying threat and the plea. Lando was serious about going legit. "So, woman trouble?"

Han spread his hands. "Not trouble. No trouble. We're great. Just looking for some ideas. Leia's the classiest woman either of us has ever met, and you know it."

"I won't argue the point. But you're, well, you."

"Exactly."

"I don't do professional makeovers, Han. There's no way a haircut and a new suit are going to fool anyone, especially her."

Han pointed to his chest with both hands. "Hey, there's nothing to object to here." He avoided reaching a hand up to smooth his hair, instead picking up a weird knickknack from Lando's desk and moving it from hand to hand. "I'm not sure what I can do to give her a nice night out, or two, or three, to show her I've got style." He set down the knickknack. "Look, between you and me, the first good-looking Senator who takes her to some ritzy place and reminds her she's technically a Queen, that's the guy she's going to start thinking of as Mr. Right."

Lando looked out the window for a moment, then sat down at the desk. "I think you're reading her wrong. Leia's not that shallow. She gave up everything to find you after Boba Fett hauled you away to Jabba. She's not going to chase another guy just because he's got an enormous credit stash. Relax." He wrote something on a flimsy.

"I'm relaxed."

"You're not relaxed."

"No."

"Fine." Lando handed him the flimsy. "I have a standing reservation at this place once a week. I did a favor for the head chef. Take her there the day after tomorrow and give them my name. You'll have a nice table, good music, and I can even give you a cheater guide on what to order. The kr'all is particularly good but skip the bloons." He made a face. "They never cook them right."

Han scanned the page. "Thanks, buddy, You are the best."

"I think you're making a mistake. Leia's not into this stuff, and neither are you."

"I can make it work." He was going to need some clothes. "You got the number of a good tailor?"

Lando's tailor cost a lot more than Han felt comfortable paying, and the clothes didn't feel right. He looked good, though, checking himself out in the stained mirror in the _Falcon_ 's 'fresher. Chewbacca stared at him.

"Hey, it looks good!"

Chewie said he didn't want to know, and he went to his own cabin.

Han showed up at Leia's quarters and pressed the buzzer. Several minutes later, C-3PO answered. "Oh hello, Captain Solo! How pleasant to see you!"

"Hey, Threepio. Is Leia ready?" Han pushed past the droid. "Leia?"

C-3PO followed him in. "Princess Leia is not here. She was called away for a Senate meeting an hour ago."

"Oh." She'd said she was free tonight. Duty called. "She's at work?"

"I'm afraid so. She sent me back to prepare." Han knew that one. It was Leia-speak for 'you are driving me crazy, go away.'

"Right. Then I'll pick her up from there. Thanks."

He knew the building, and one of the perks of being a hero of the Rebellion was a smile and wave were enough to get inside a lot of places. Also he had a badge because Leia had made him and Luke get their pictures taken so they could visit her at work. The lift swooped him up to the ninetieth floor, where another swipe of his badge allowed him to emerge without summoning interest from the security guards.

Leia's office was empty, and he wasn't sure of himself enough to wander the hallways. He grabbed the second chair, and spent more time than he should have finding a way to sit that showed off the new clothes but looked casual but looked a little mysterious but also looked confident, and the final pose he wound up in as the door opened had the arm of the chair jammed into his hip uncomfortably while he shot her a winning smile.

"Hey, sweetheart."

"Han, what are you doing here?"

"You weren't home. I thought I'd pick you up at work for our night out." He made an easy shrug, which dug the chair in harder.

Leia stared at him in confusion before her expression changed. "Was that tonight? I'm sorry. I've been in session for ten hours."

He got to his feet, appreciating the release of pressure from the chair's arm. As Leia stacked flimsies on her desk, he came around and rubbed her shoulders. "Then you definitely deserve a night off."

She made a happy noise. "That sounds good. Let's grab a bag of fried mormocks and a few bottles of fizz. We can watch the game and pass out on my couch."

He smiled. "Or, I can take you somewhere nice. I got us reservations at Merga's."

"You did?" Her flimsies forgotten, Leia watched his face, looking for the joke. "I didn't think you'd like that kind of place."

"Hey, I'm a man of great depths."

"Right. Han, I'm not really dressed for Merga's."

He didn't see why not. Leia always dressed nice. Even the pantsuit she wore today draped and clung with an elegance he admired. "You look great. We're due in half an hour. It'll be fun."

She let herself be coaxed out of the office. "Is that outfit new? I've never seen you wear it before?"

He almost played the lie, and knew he'd be caught fast. "Just something I'm trying. I can't go everywhere in yesterday's shirt." He held out his arm, and for once, he was positive when she took it, she wasn't embarrassed.

"It's just different. It looks like something Lando would wear."

"He's got taste, what can I say?"

When they reached the club, the line snaked into the street. Acting more confident than he felt, Han went right to the hostess and passed her the flimsy with Lando's quick note as he said, "Solo, reservation for two."

She glanced at the note and led them inside past the crowd. Han liked the jealousy on the others' faces and the amused surprise on Leia's.

"Really, how did you get this reservation?"

"I know a guy."

True to description, the table was nice enough, close to the musicians without being so close they had to shout to hear each other. Han thought 'elegance' started with tablecloths, but the small candle in the middle, the bowls of water, and the multitude of glasses and utensils left him mystified. He let Leia take the lead, mimicking her as she dipped the ends of her fingers into the cool water and drying them on a cloth they set to the side, which the waiter droid whisked away while filling the first set of glasses with something that glowed orange and lit up her face as she took a sip.

Between the candlelight and the glow of her drink, Leia was radiant. He always thought so, even when they'd been stuck in a jungle together for a week without a wash, but this, this was her natural element. Han was glad to see her in it.

"And what would Sir and Madam like to order?"

Han cracked open his menu, ready to order the kr'all when he saw the price and nearly swallowed his own tongue. "I need a little time. The lady might be ready."

"What do you recommend?" she asked.

"The chef is grilling seasoned bhillen medallions for another guest, and I believe it is his best creation of the evening."

"That sounds delicious," Leia said, handing over the menu.

"Sir?"

If he ordered the soup, Han would only be in debt for a few months. Keeping his voice steady, he said, "I've heard the kr'all is excellent."

"You heard correctly. How well-done would you like it?"

"Surprise me."

For one second, he thought that might be a bad idea. The last time he'd told a droid to surprise him, he'd been talking to R2, who had immediately zapped him with an electricity bolt. The waiter appeared to understand.

After it left, Han said, "Care for a dance?"

"I've been on my feet all day. I'd take my shoes off but we'd probably be ejected."

"I don't know. The tablecloth is pretty long."

Leia took him at his word, and wriggled. A moment later, a look of bliss crossed her face. He was getting to know that look very well. He didn't know all he had to do to get it was remove her shoes. Huh.

"This is nice. Thank you," she said, taking another sip of her drink.

"Sure. Anything that brightens your day." He lifted his own glass and tasted the orange liquid. Not alcohol, he noticed, just something light and refreshing. "Good stuff."

"It's a palate cleanser. You'll want a little after each course."

Course? Sure enough, a minute later the waiter returned with a small plate of pastries, two for each. Something creamy covered his tongue when he bit down, then his nose was assaulted by the spices wrapped inside. Han coughed, tried not to cough, and wound up with the pastry trying to come out through his sinuses.

"Sorry," he said, grabbing the water glass. "Wasn't expecting that."

"They're an acquired taste." She hadn't touched hers, and let the waiter whisk away the plate again as they were brought two small dishes of broth. This time Han let her try it first. "It's fine," she said. "It's a little like that soup we had back on Darlo Four."

"I hated that soup."

"Only because we were out of everything else and had to live on it for a month."

That was true. Han had grown weary of eating the same thing every day, even joining Chewie on a hunting trip to try and bring in some game, anything to change the routine. Leia hadn't complained. Luke had even done a few experiments with the local plant life while searching for non-lethal seasonings to punch up the flavor.

Han took a taste now. He was thinking about those days, and it tasted pretty much the same. His stomach curdled. "Not bad." He set his bowl aside. Two courses down in a meal he was going to regret for a long time. "Hey, remember the first herb Luke tried to use in that soup?"

Her face broke into a sweet and sympathetic smile. "He thought it was going to be savory. To be fair, the next one was."

"Yeah, but he didn't try that one until after the hallucinations stopped." Poor kid.

"I told him we had actual trained botanists who could sort it out. I think he was trying to impress me."

"He was definitely trying to impress you." Poor, poor kid. But Han wasn't here with her tonight to talk about Luke. If they hadn't discovered the whole long lost twins thing, Han might not have won the competition he and Luke never admitted they'd been having. Everything was better this way. "Have you been here before?"

"Me? No. A few of my colleagues like this place. I haven't had the time. How did you find out about it? You said you knew someone?"

"A friend of the chef."

She took in his clothes and the way he was trying to hide the expressions on his face. "Lando knows the chef, doesn't he?"

"It might have been Lando."

Leia rolled her eyes and took another sip of the palate cleansing drink. "Don't tell me how he knows the chef. I don't want to be subpoenaed later."

"I'm sure it's fine." Han thought about the prices again. Lando had to have done the chef a huge favor. 

The next course was a green vegetable covered in a tangy sauce. After that came a dish of hot grains. "This goes with the rest of the meal," Leia said, setting hers to the side after one bite. Sure enough, the waiter was out with their main dishes next. Leia's grilled bhillen medallions smelled fantastic. Han's kr'all appeared to be raw.

He glanced at the waiter, who stared back placidly and said in a perfect monotone, "Surprise."

As soon as it rolled off, Leia took pity on him and scooped two medallions onto his plate. "Try this."

Han went to object, but the aroma went straight to his stomach. One bite was enough. "That's amazing." He'd stolen a shipment of smoked meats from a pirate once, intent on selling the cargo at their next port. Instead, Chewbacca had opened the crate and between them, they'd eaten the lot in two days. This was just as good.

"Try the kr'all," she said, cutting a small piece for herself and taking a taste. "It's different from how I've had it before."

"Do they usually cook it?"

"Usually."

Han tried his own food, and despite the too-chewy texture and the bad feeling he could hear it purr on the plate, the meat's flavor had what someone with a better grasp of food vocabulary would probably call complicated undertones. Leia was used to this sort of thing. Han would have been happy throwing this into a pan with some magenta onions. In fact, if he was allowed to take home a Wookiee Bag with the remainder of his meal, he might.

"I forget what these places are like sometimes," Leia said, taking another scoop of her grains before setting down her spoon. "Everything is about being seen."

"People like looking at you."

She shrugged. "I'd rather they look at one another. I've been a celebrity. Everyone watching every bite I took so they could report back. Can't say anything I don't want published tomorrow. My parents warned me early about how to behave and what to do. Hold your glass like this, and move your head like this, otherwise it will be all over the newsreels."

"I thought you enjoyed it." Great. They were out on a date and she was making it sound like work.

"I enjoyed going out with my friends. I enjoy being here with you. That's not the same thing. I like being around you because I don't have to be the person they expect me to be in places like this. I can take off my shoes and dig through the greasy bag for the burnt pieces, and if we get bored, we can call Luke and tell him to bring dessert."

At the word "dessert," the waiter brought them a dainty dish with mints. Leia chewed on one, thanking the droid and before Han could react, handing over her credit slip.

"Hey," he said, but the droid was already rolling away. "I was going to get dinner."

"You can get dessert."

He went to complain, pride injured by her entirely correct surmise that he was in over his head. "I was taking you out."

"You did. Now I'm taking you back to my place. Deal?" She offered him the kind of rakish grin Han was sure her folks warned her not to flash in places like this. Nice girls didn't waggle their eyebrows while propositioning their boyfriends, something like that.

He appreciated this look on her, especially when she gave it to him first thing in the morning before they had to crawl out of bed and start their day. Han took her hand, holding her fingers beside the fancy little candle.

"Let's not go yet. We can spend time in your world for once."

"This isn't my world. Spending time with you after I've been arguing with politicians all day, that's my world." The waiter brought back her credit slip, and Leia thanked him.

Outside, the line had shortened and the air was crisp. Leia slung her shoes in two fingers, walking barefoot with her other hand on Han's arm as they walked. She breathed easier, and she'd loosened the pins holding up her hair. In the glow lamps lighting their way, she looked a lot less like a princess or a senator, and exactly like the best girl he'd ever met.

"You said dessert?"

"Something sweet," she said, and he let her lead him in the direction of her favorite late night diner.


End file.
